Chord-Ayres “church run” Sun., April 28; general concert with high school choir to be held at 2:00 p.m.

Minnesota Musical Hall of Fame chorus group inductee “Chord-Ayres” is coming to Granite Falls Sunday, April 28 and will perform at a number of area churches before a 2:00 p.m. general public performance at the YME auditorium.

Minnesota Musical Hall of Fame chorus group inductee "Chord-Ayres" is coming to Granite Falls Sunday, April 28 and will perform at a number of area churches before a 2:00 p.m. general public performance at the YME auditorium.

Chord-Ayres was started in 1969 as a 10 member men's chorus that met in the basement of the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Church in rural Louisburg. Today, it features 35 men and women from throughout west central Minnesota who delight in singing songs that are patriotic, sacred, of the 50s and 60s era, and the like.

The group is best known in central west of the state, but has performed for events and in competitions held all over Minnesota. In addition, Chord-Ayres was invited to perform at the Pearl Harbor memorial site on the Hawaiian Islands in both 1991 and 2001.

One of the founding members and the group's first director, Paul Trelstad, spent three years as the Yellow Medicine East Choir Director from 1965 - 1968 and also spent a short stint as the choir leader of Granite Falls Lutheran. Today, the Madison native remains a part of the group as chorus member.

Aside from Trelstad, local farmer and Granite Falls Lutheran choir member, Dick Jepson, also provides a local connection. Jepson was invited to audition for the chorus last year and was brought on just in time to join the group before its induction into the Hall of Fame.

"It was a pretty big deal for these guys, said Jepson of the honor. "Some of them are original members who have been singing with the chorus for over 40 years ... It's a real fun lighthearted bunch that just likes to sing––and they're good. So it was well deserved," he said.

Jepson noted that during their Sunday morning visit Chord-Ayres will perform a "church run," during which the chorus will sing two to three songs at area churches that include: GF Lutheran, the United Church of Christ, St. Paul Lutheran, Rock Haven and Assembly of God.

Later that day, they will join with the Yellow Medicine East Chamber Choir during a performance for the general public at the YME Auditorium that is expected to run from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 - 3:30 p.m. This event will be a free will donation with all proceeds going toward scholarships for YME choir students.